Volume 1 Chapter 67: Lonely Gambit

  PS plus more seeking pink powder

  Just then, there was a flurry of footsteps outside the door. Li Changhe supported Xi Que and hastily pushed open the door to enter. Seeing Shen Zhongge, Xi Que immediately knelt down with a thud, "It's all this servant's fault for offending Lady Chu, this servant is willing to accept punishment, please don't blame Miss."

  Seeing Xi Que's swollen face, Shen Zhongge's body shook and he thought to himself, "Yi'er said she only slapped her twice, how could it be like this?" Suddenly, he remembered the incident four years ago when Xi Que went to the Zhuangyuan Fu for help and was beaten into a pig head.

  "You're courting death, running out in the freezing cold at midnight!" Hearing that Jixi was still panting nonstop, Zhen Shiniang was shocked into standing up. "Hurry and get up, be careful not to stir up the fetal energy." She went forward to help her up.

  "Please don't punish Miss." Ji Kuai stubbornly knelt on the ground and refused to get up.

  Zhen Shining's heart wailed in sorrow.

  After all, whose slave is she? No wonder there were so many traitors during the War of Resistance against Japan back then. It turns out that a good person fears an evil one; he just darkened his face and this magpie changed its tune.

  "It's been seven or eight months, once the fetus is disturbed, it will be a disaster for both mother and child!" The words were directed at Jixiao, but Zhen Shiniang's eyes were fixed on Shen Zhongge, her tone suppressed with extreme anger.

  Shen Zhong's eyes swept over her, and he said coldly with his head lowered, "Get up."

  The magpie stood up and told the whole story with a quiver.

  The fact was right in front of him, but suddenly, Shen Zhongqiu felt a little disheartened.

  After a long while, he let out a sigh and said, “...In any case, you shouldn’t have hit her in the face.”

  He went back with a swollen face like a pig's head, now the whole General's Mansion remembered that he also had a notorious and infamous wife, making Chu Xinyi cry and wail endlessly. His mother forced him to come and divorce her immediately, and even threatened to drive her out of the ancestral home, not allowing her to take away a single thread or needle from the Shen family.

  "She slapped the magpie's face." Zhen Shi Niang muttered in a low voice, with a stubborn tone like a child.

  Shen Zhong's eyes widened in surprise as he looked up, but she was calm and composed, without a hint of shame.

  Are you still as petty and vengeful as ever?

  Originally, there was still some anger in his heart. But thinking of Zhen Shining being even more arrogant five years ago, Shen Zhongjie suddenly let go and felt a faint sense of relief. He no longer looked for excuses to argue with her, and she was able to explain the matter calmly and clearly, which was already rare enough. He really didn't need to bother arguing with her anymore.

  After all, this time it was Chu Xinyi's fault.

  Moreover, Zhen Shiniang was just such a person.

  A pregnant magpie was beaten like this, if she didn't fight back, she wouldn't be Zhen Shiniang!

  For months, Shen Zhongjie had a faint sense of unease in his heart. He felt that Zhen Shiniang was like a changed person, possessed by an evil spirit. Otherwise, a person wouldn't suddenly change their nature, which is also why he craved her exquisite culinary skills and admired her exceptional chess skills, yet avoided coming to the ancestral mansion like a snake avoiding its nemesis.

  Up to this point, Shen Zhongge was convinced that Zhen Shiniang was indeed the original Zhen Shiniang. However, five years of a life of poverty had made her reserved and calm, giving rise to an air of detachment from worldly affairs.

  "Go cook noodles." Tonight's and Li's things can't be discussed yet, let's wait until tomorrow.

  Boil noodles?

  Still fully focused on thinking about how to deal with the next thing, Zhen Shining was a bit unable to keep up with Shen Zhongjie's jumping thoughts. She looked at Shen Zhongjie in dismay and thought to herself: "Didn't you say we were leaving soon? Why do we need to eat again?"

  "It's late tonight, and it's unlikely that we can find an inn. Let's just make do with this place for the night." Shen Zhongjie explained with a straight face.

  The magpie's face has already shown a smile on the chrysanthemum.

  Zhen Shining sighed and said, "In these times, houses are the most valuable. Whoever has a house is the boss. This is his house, he's the master, what he says goes."

  The noodles were chewy and elastic, the flavor was fresh and delicious. A large bowl of noodles was served, and the two people drank even the soup dry. Rong Sheng still had some regrets.

  Zhen Shining suspected that eating so much in the middle of the night would lead to indigestion.

  But this was not what she was worried about. She ordered Qiuju to move her bedding away and settled the two of them in the east house.

  A night without words.

  The next morning, Shen Zhongjie woke up early to find that Zhen Shiniang had already sent Jian Wujian and Jian Wen to the backyard and prepared a delicious breakfast.

  After breakfast, Qiu Ju and Xi Que stood guard over Zhen Shi Niang, not daring to leave.

  "Get out..." Shen Zhongge put down his teacup and said to Xi Que and the other two.

  Rong Sheng responded with a "yes" and turned around to leave.

  Magpie then grabbed Zhen Shiniang with one hand.

  "Go ahead..." Zhen Shining patted her hand.

  Shen Zhong Xiao had something to discuss with her privately and couldn't eat with her.

  "Be careful, miss..." Ji Kuang looked at Shen Zhongge with a hint of unease.

  Shen Zhong's eyebrows furrowed.

  Zhen Shining hastily pushed Xi Que away.

  Watching her and Qiujie walk out together, Zhen Shiniang got up personally to refill Shen Zhongjie's tea, "......General, aren't you returning to the capital today?"

  "Xīng Niáng......" Shen Zhongke's voice was unusually gentle.

  Duan Cha's fingers trembled slightly, and Zhen Shi Niang's heart skipped a beat. She took the opportunity to place the teacup in front of Shen Zhongjie and said, "I have something to ask of you, General."

  Just hesitating how to mention the matter of separation, after hearing this, Shen Zhongge suddenly let out a sigh of relief and said in a relaxed tone, "Tenth girl, just say what's on your mind." After all, it's a marriage, before separating, being able to fulfill her wishes as much as possible is also considered doing one's best.

  "I'm afraid this body of mine won't last much longer..." Zhen Shi Niang poured herself another cup of tea, turned around and sat down. "It's just that Qiu Ju Xi followed me once, I hope the general can find it in his heart to take them in, give them a job on one of the general's estates outside the manor, so they can live without worries for the rest of their lives, and I can close my eyes in peace."

  Isn't she going to live much longer?

  He recalled her weight as light as a willow catkin and Shen Zhongge suddenly lifted his head.

  For some reason, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his heart.

  "What happened... four years ago?"

  Of course you will have sons!

  In her heart, she had complaints, but didn't dare to say them out loud. Thinking that Jian Wu and Jian Wen both followed their father's surname from the previous life, Zhen Shi Nang's mood was somewhat balanced. She muttered vaguely, "The doctor said I can live for at most... two more years..."

  Is it really only two years left to live?

  How can she say it so lightly?

  Two years later, what I faced was not life and death, but going on a spring outing.

  One will become famous for eternity, as a general who has traversed the desert battlefield, he is accustomed to life and death, and even more accustomed to the struggles of people on the brink of death. Because of a desire to live, how many people have turned traitor on the battlefield, abandoning friendship and righteousness? Few people can utter the word "death" with such a calm and serene tone!

  Quietly watching Zhen Shining, Shen Zhongke's eyes flashed with a hint of confusion.

  Looking at the calm and determined eyes in front of her, Shen Zhong suddenly remembered that she had come here three days ago to seek a famous doctor in Lin Town.

  Maybe it's true.

  This thought flashed through Shen Zhongge's mind, and he felt a wave of annoyance. He suddenly stood up and walked out in big strides.

  Zhen Shining sat motionless, her eyes with a kind of serenity that was almost ethereal.

  "Miss!" Shen Zhongke had just left when Qiuju Xihe rushed in, "Did he mention reconciliation or divorce to you?"

  Jian Xiniang shook her head, and the voice of Xi Que became sharp with excitement. "You didn't agree?" So that's why he stormed off in anger?

  "He didn't mention..." Zhen Shi Niang shook her head again.

  "Uh..."

  How did that general get away?

  The words were on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't bring herself to say them as she gazed at Zhen Shiniang with a distracted mind.

  "Bring over the Go board..." Zhen Shi Niang got up and came to the kang.

  Qiu Ju moved the kang table. Carefully laid out the chessboard.

  Pa, Zhen Shining put the black piece in her hand on Xingjiao, and casually picked up a white piece, arranging them one by one. Zhen Shining's expression was normal, but her heart was like boiling water, churning restlessly.

  Xiao Yan and Xiao Yu both said he was a man of his word.

  When a person is trustworthy, their heart is broad and open. She gambled that he was an upright person. He wouldn't abandon her when she's weak, so before he could say anything about divorce, she quickly said that her life wasn't long.

  The implication is that if he just waits patiently for two more years, he will be free, and they don't need to divorce anymore.

  But this is also a double-edged sword, exposing one's own shortcomings to the opponent. If she guessed wrong, he was a petty person who would stop at nothing to achieve his goal, and in order to borrow power through marriage as soon as possible, he could use this as evidence to petition for her dismissal.

  For seven years she had no children, and furthermore, her body was afflicted with a wicked disease. She committed two of the seven offenses for which an empress could be deposed; even if there were an imperial edict from the previous emperor, it would still be permissible to depose her.

  Zhen Shi Niang slowly put down a chess piece, her movements heavier than ever before.

  Was this move right or wrong?

  Once she's wrong, where should she go and what should she do?

  Wen Ge Wu Ge is still young... she only has two years of life left... with a weak body like this, must they really go to rely on Xiao Yu... shaking her head, Xiao Yu is Shen Zhong Jie's sworn brother, seeing Wen Ge Wu Ge's appearance, with his intelligence he will definitely be able to guess their origin.

  In the end, it's still a scene of mother and son separation!

  "The backyard is too quiet, Wen Ge and Wu Ge are arguing to come over...". Zhen Shiniang is unusually quiet, and Ji Kuai can't find anything to say.

  "Send that box of wasabi sugar to the backyard......" Zhen Shi Niang slapped down another card.

  The magpie and Qiujie exchanged a stunned glance.

  Zhen Shining has always set an example for the children with her own behavior, never using things to coax them. Today, she opened her mouth and let someone take sugar to coax them, obviously she was flustered.

  This is something that has never happened before.

  Qiu Ju pouted and looked like she was about to cry, Xi Que glared at her fiercely and used his eyes to signal her to go get the sugar.

  "General......" took the sugar, and just as Qiuju opened the door, Shen Zhongge was about to push it open from outside, startling her so much that she almost dropped the cotton candy in her hand.

  Hearing Chrysanthemum's cry, the magpie shuddered, "...the general is back." Struggling to get down and open the door.

  "......The general is back." Seeing Shen Zhong's expressionless face enter the house, Zhen Shi Nang put down the white silk in her hand and stood up after patting it.

  The magpie took the shoes early.

  "Let's tidy up a bit and go out." Shen Zhongge glanced at the half-played Go game on the kang.

  "Where is the general taking Miss?" asked the magpie anxiously.

  No words were spoken, Shen Zhongge sat down at the edge of the bed, lowered his head and studied the chessboard that Zhen Shiniang had just set up.

  Magpie was about to ask again when Zhen Shiniang pulled her back, "......find my embroidered pouch with the peony pattern."

  About union and separation:

  Many people in the comments section are looking forward to a quick divorce, hoping that after reading this chapter they won't be disappointed. Ah Yu and Shen don't have any feelings for each other, to be honest, Ah Yu is more eager than anyone else to get a divorce as soon as possible and find a second chance at love. She has her own hands and feet, knows medicine, and has modern free-thinking ideas. Without me saying it, everyone also knows how strong her desire for freedom is.

  But this is just the best choice for her personally.

  But she has a simple and unadorned life, and cannot help but consider the children. If her body were healthy, it would be fine, and she could slowly endure, as long as she was willing to suffer, she could raise the children. But her body is not good, and she only has two years of life left. Suppose she chose to divorce with a strong heart, what would happen to Jian Wu and Jian Wen after she died? Would they be left to wander the streets and be bullied by others, or would they be taken in by the general's household and be abused by their stepmother? Although she has a loyal heart, Xi Que's current economic situation is not good enough to raise them, so she must earn enough silver in her lifetime to leave for Xi Que to fulfill her own wishes. Sacrificing one's life happiness for the children, choosing to stay with someone you don't love, this choice is heart-wrenching and painful for a strong woman who yearns for freedom and love. I hope that relatives will not think that my family's Ah You not divorcing is humiliating to modern women's dignity. I hope that relatives can see through this the deep love of a weak mother for her children. Motherly love is great.